Tool for splicing cables



1943. v l. JACOEL 2,325,777

TOOL FOR SPIJICING' CABLES Filed Dec. 12, 1942 2 Sheets$heet l $Zmi1a60 INVENTOR. BY WW A TTORNEKS' Aug. 3, 1943. l. JACOEL 2,325,777

TOOL FOR SPLICING CABLES Filed Dec. 12, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 AT TOR/VEKS are now individually interwoven or interlaced successively with different strands 29 of the untwisted peated continuously until thedetermined number of tucks is completed. During ths interweaving operation of the cable body and loose end, the

splice is'subjected to a hammering operation, as a required, to produce a smooth and finished splice, This tightening of the loose end strands and inrelative to the body strands 29 with which it is interwoven.

By employing a circumferential groove on the tool shank for the reception of the loose end strand the latter is prevented from moving lengthwise on the shank during the winding and tightening operation and instead is compelled to wind circumferentially around the shank and thus pull most effectively on the loose end strand whichis being tightened. By extending the coupling slot 33 rearwardly so that its inner end 35 terminates a short distance rearwardly of-the rear side or wall of the groove 34 that part of the loose end strand which is arranged within the coupling slot 33 together with its free tail end are held mainly on one side of the path of that part of this strand which is to be wound around the bottom of the groove 34 thereby enterlocking of the same with the body strands is easily, conveniently and expeditiously eifected b'y the splicing tool which forms part of this invention and which is constructed, as follows:

The numeral 32 represents the body. or shank of the tool which preferably has the form of a cylindrical rod. At its front end this body rod is provided with a coupling or receiving slot 33 which extends longitudinally rearward from the front end of the tool body and diametrically fromone side ofits periphery to the other. On its periphery the tool body is provided with a circumferential winding" groove 34 which intersects the longitudinal receiving slot 33 slightly in .front of the inner end 35 of this slot, as best 'shown in Fig. 4. At' its rear end the shank of the tool is provided with a handle 36 which preferably has the form of a rod extending transversely through the shank and whereby the tool is turned by the hands of the operator. When using this. tool its front part is attached to one of theloose end strands 3| which has been interwoven with one of the cable strands on the upper side of the cable and is projecting laterally therefrom, whichv attachment is effected by placing the slot '33 of the tool on the respective loose end strand 3| close tothe cable until this strand engages with the inner end 35 of this slot, as

shown in Figs. 5 and 6, whereby the front end of the shank straddles this strand in the manner of a fork and causes the same to be coupled and compelled to turn together upon rotating the: shank about its longitudinal axis.

After the shank or body of the tool has been I coupled with therespective loose end strand the 'shank is turned about its axis in a direction in which it rolls on the cable body'toward the root or base of the respective loose end strand, there'- by tightening the loose end strand by winding the slack in the latter between the shank-and the last "body strand 29 with which this loose end strand .is .interwoven around the periphery of a the shank, as shownin Figs.7 and 8. This wound up portion 31 of the loose end strand enters the circumferential groove 34 of'the shank and engages the' bottom thereof which'latter acts as a drum around which 'the loose end strand is wound. The extent'of this turning movement of .the' shank for winding the loose end strand thereon depends on the amount of slack in the respective strand'but in the drawings this turning movement is represented as three-fourths of .a rotation from the place where the loose end strand is placed in the slot 33 of the tool shank,

, as shown in Fig. 6, to the place where the loose end strand is wound sufliciently on the tool shank to take up the slacktherein and tighten the same abling this last mentioned part of this strand to enter this groove without liability of any of its parts catching on the corners between the cou- .pling slot 33 and the winding groove 34 where this strand bends from this slot into said groove. After the loose end strand has been Wound on the shank of the tool for tightening the strand in il'he, cable body strands the tool is rocked or tilted in a plane crosswise of the axis of the cable body.

as shown in Fig. .9, so that the front end of the shank which is attached to the respective loose end strand will be lifted ormoved laterally relative to the cable body, thereby causing that part of ,the loose end strand which passes forwardly and upwardly around the last interwoven body strand 29 to be-bent sharper and more abruptly, as best shown at 38in'Fig. l0, and thus firmly interlock the parts of the respective body strand and loose end strand and hold the same tightly in place until it is readyrfor the next interweaving or splicing operation. After this loose end strand has beenthus tightened and interlocked with the respective body strand the tool is removed therefrom and utilized in the same manner for tightening and locking the next following loose end strand which has been interwoven with the body strands. This operation is repeated step bystep on each loose end strand and successively on the several strands until all of the loose end strands have been. interwoven a determined number of tucks to the body strands.

From time to time "the interwoven strands of the bodyand loose end'of'the wire cable are hammered so as to form a smooth and finished splice,

as shownin Fig. 11. r

In the preferred construction the handle of the tool is arrangedon the shank at an angle of about degrees relative to the coupling slot 33 of the shank, so that the handle will be more nearly in a horizontal position when applying the slot 33 vertically toa looseend strand,,as shown in Fig. 5,

and also when tilting the shank with the slot 33 in about a horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 9, thereby enabling the operator to manipulate this tool most conveniently during the most important stages of thesplicing operation.

I claim as my invention:

1. A tool for tightening the strands of a cable for splicing the same, comprising a rod provided in its front part with a longitudinal slot opening at the front end of the rod and adapted to receive a strand of the cable which is to be tightened.

2. A 1:001 for tightening the strands of a cable for splicing the same, comprising a rod provided in its front part with a longitudinal slot opening .at the front end of the rod and adapted to receive 

